Reports - Mississippi Renewal

6 | REACHING OUT“While the town hall meetingsrevealed a great sense of concernand frustration as people struggledto find solutions to some of the basicproblems associated with recovery,the meetings reflected the overall willand commitment of the communitiesto focus on recovery, rebuilding, andrenewal.”— Jerry St. Pé, Jackson County Chairmanfire, emergency medical services, andschools.Town hall meetings in JacksonCounty, with one attended by over 500people, illustrated the concern with theFEMA Flood Recovery Maps, specificallyits impact on the cost of rebuilding,financing, and flood insurance. Delaysin the permitting process causedfrustration for those ready to rebuildand restore their homes and businesses.Virtually all homes on the beachfrontin Jackson County were destroyed, andaffordable housing for poor and middleclass residents is an urgent need,particularly as temporary housing beginsthe transition to permanent housing.Citizens also expressed concernfor the reconstruction of the Highway90 bridge connecting Ocean Springsto Biloxi, and most Ocean Springsresidents favored a smaller, four-lanebridge. Designs created in the MississippiRenewal Forum were receivedwith high praise and support.Residents in Pearl River Countycommented that they had never seensuch a high level of community participationin public meetings in theircounty. Improvement in health care facilitiesemerged as the highest priorityin the county where it is estimated that80 percent of medical care for residentswas performed outside of the county. Anew hospital is needed to fulfill countyhealth care needs and to attract andretain quality health care professionals.Expanding existing infrastructureto meet expanding population was anotherpriority topping the list in PearlRiver County. More short-term problemsassociated with increased populationinclude potential budget shortfallsdue to additional staffing and equipmentrequired by law enforcementagencies and fire departments.Stone Countyis the sixth-fastestgrowing county in the state accordingto 2000 census data and, after Katrina,immediately began working withMDA to create a strategic plan. New